Zhuhai Int'l Circus Festival rated among the greatest

The curtain came down on the visual and cultural extravaganza of the 4th China International Circus Festival on Nov 25 at Chimelong Hengqin International Circus City with a joint performance by domestic and foreign acrobats.

The eight-day event attracted 25 world-class acrobatic teams from 18 countries to participate. While contributing toward the mutual development of Chinese acrobatics and international circus culture, it also promoted cultural exchanges between China and the world.

Peter Dubinsky, president of New York-based Firebird Productions, is a circus expert and frequent judge of international circus festivals. Having participated in the China International Circus Festival four times in the past five years, he witnessed the strides made by the annual event. 

Flash of Splash-Aerial Strap Act

According to Dubinsky, the circus's reputation and influence have reached a par with that of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, advancing to higher levels this year. Most surprising was the five high-quality performances by Chinese acrobatic teams, he said. Instead of copying old tricks, they all brought something new to the stage.

The Pellegrini Brothers-Hand to Hand from Italy, which has been popular in the America and Europe for more than 30 years, has received invitations from the organizer since the first showing of the China International Circus Festival. For various reasons such as scheduling conflicts and injuries, they didn't make the trip until this year, with Zhuhai being the first stop on their comeback tour.

Ninth Wave-Chinese Pole

Performers of the Pellegrini Brothers-Hand to Hand said that they have brought their shows to a number of countries and international festivals, and remarked how impressive Zhuhai's environment and Chimelong Hengqin International Circus City's stage are. The professional organization of the festival especially made their trip to Zhuhai a wise choice.

To carry on the tradition of promoting cultural activities among residents, six performances were staged in Zhuhai and Macao for free this year. Of them, two were staged at the University of Macau and Forum de Macau.

Courageous-Human Juggling [Photos by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]